1994
Headline Event of the Year As a result of a player's strike, the MLB season ends prematurely on August 11, 1994. No World Series is played. Minor League Baseball is not affected. The Yomiuri Giants celebrate their sixtieth anniversary with their eighteenth championship in the Japan Series. Champions Top Professional League *Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Seibu Lions (4-2). *Series Most Valuable Player: Hiromi Makihara *Series Fighting Spirit Award: Kazuhiro Kiyohara (awarded to player who showed the best (THE BEST WHAT??) Minor League Baseball in the United States -- AAA Leagues *American Association: Indianapolis Indians *International League: Richmond Braves *Pacific Coast League: Albuquerque Dukes Trivia *Games 1 and 2 of the Albuquerque-Vancouver PCL Championship Series were seven innings. Because of a rainout September 13, the two games were made up as two seven-inning doublehaders the next day, in compliance with minor league rules regarding doubleheaders. *Three players in the 1994 Japan Series -- Dan Gladden (Yomuiri), Mike Pagliarulo (Seibu), and Hideki Matsui (Yomiuri) -- played in a World Series (Gladden and Pagliarulo 1991, Matsui 2003). Gladden, who retired after the season, finished his career by becoming another player to win both the World Series and Japan Series, with this being his third world championship. *With the influx of American media at the Japan Series, and the Chicago White Sox broadcast crew, the coverage of the championship was Matsui's first brush with American media, and was a breakout year for the player known as "Godzilla," in his second year as a pro. Other champions *Caribbean World Series: Tigres del Licey (Dominican Republic) *College World Series: Oklahoma *Cuban National Series: Villa Clara over Industriales *Little League World Series: Coquivacoa, Maracaibo, Venezuela Awards and honors *'Most Valuable Player' **Frank Thomas (AL) **Jeff Bagwell (NL) *'Cy Young Award' **David Cone (AL) **Greg Maddux (NL) *'Rookie of the Year' **Bob Hamelin (AL) **Raúl Mondesí (NL) *'Manager of the Year Award' **Buck Showalter (AL) **Felipe Alou (NL) **NOTE: For the 1995 All-Star Game, the managers were awarded managerial roles for that game. As unofficial league champions in their teams, (incomplete sentence discovered 13 Oct 2006). Statistical Leaders |} Major League Baseball final standings * On September 14, the remainder of the major league season was canceled by acting commissioner Bud Selig after 34 days of the players' strike. Events *January 12 - Steve Carlton is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, receiving almost 96% of the vote. Orlando Cepeda falls seven votes short of the 75% required for election. *February 7 - Basketball superstar Michael Jordan signs a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. He is invited to spring training with the team as a non-roster player. *February 15 - Ila Borders becomes the first woman to pitch in a college game. Appearing for Southern California College of Cosa Mesa, she throws a 5-hit game against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 12-1. *February 25 - The Veterans Committee elects Phil Rizzuto and Leo Durocher to the Baseball Hall of Fame. *April 4 - At Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs outfielder Tuffy Rhodes blasts three home runs on Opening Day victimizing New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden. Rhodes becomes the first player in major league history to hit home runs in his first three at-bats of the season. In spite of Rhodes’ unexpected home run barrage, the Cubs lose the game, 12–8. *July 12 - Moisés Alou's double in the 10th inning gives the National League an 8-7 victory over the American League in the All-Star Game. The NL is now a perfect 9-0 in extra-inning contests. John Hudek of the Houston Astros becomes the first pitcher in major league history to appear in an All-Star Game before recording a major league victory. Fred McGriff, whose two-run home run in the 9th inning tied the score, takes MVP honors. *August 11 - The final games of the Major League season are played on this date. The next day, the players strike begins. Minor League Baseball games are not affected. *September 14 - The remainder of the major league season is canceled by acting commissioner Bud Selig after 34 days of the players' strike. There will be no World Series for the first time since 1904. *September 20 - Albuquerque ends the professional baseball season in the United States, winning the Pacific Coast League championship. *October 22 - The Japan Series begins as baseball's professional championship. Reporters from major American newspapers arrive in Japan for their Fall Classic coverage. Ken Harrelson, the play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox, calls the Japan Series for US audiences on regional sports networks under the Prime SportsChannel banner. *October 29 - The Yomiuri Giants win Game 6 of the Japan Series to become professional baseball's world champions. Legend says this is the luckiest of all championship years, as it was the team's sixtieth anniversary, as they are deemed World Champions by the baseball media. Movies *''Major League II'' *''Little Big League'' *''Angels in the Outfield'' *''Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns'' (TV documentary) *''The Scout'' *''Cobb'' Deaths *January 8 - Harvey Haddix, 68, All-Star pitcher best remembered for a 1959 game with the Pirates in which he threw 12 perfect innings before losing in the 13th; won 20 games for 1953 Cardinals and earned three Gold Gloves *January 9 - Johnny Temple, 66, All-Star second baseman, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds, who batted .300 three times *January 10 - Chub Feeney, 72, National League president from 1970 to 1986 *February 12 - Ray Dandridge, 80, Hall of Fame third baseman of the Negro Leagues who often batted over .350 *March 16 - Eric Show, 37, pitcher who won 100 games for the San Diego Padres and surrendered Pete Rose's record 4,192nd hit *June 12 - Jim Brock, 57, coach at Arizona State since 1972 who led the school to two College World Series titles *June 23 - Marv Throneberry, 62, first baseman for the Yankees, Orioles, Mets and Kansas City A's *July 14 - César Tovar, 54, outfielder for the Minnesota Twins who in 1968 became the second major leaguer to play all nine positions in a game; had his team's only hit on five occasions *September 5 - Hank Aguirre, 63, All-Star pitcher who led AL in ERA in 1962 with the Detroit Tigers *December 26 - Allie Reynolds, 77, 6-time All-Star pitcher, mainly with the Yankees, who led AL in ERA in 1952 and in strikeouts and shutouts twice; in 1951 was first AL pitcher to throw two no-hitters in same year, and was MVP runnerup in 1952; career .630 winning percentage